| Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews, NZ - April 09
2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir Calvert
19 - 5 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 14%; $65 [ screwcap; several clones hand-harvested at varying yields not above 1.6 t/ac; up to 32% whole-bunch in some batches; up to 9 days cold-soak, cuvaison up to 23 days, all wild yeast; MLF also wild and 13 months in French oak c. 26% new; no fining or filtration; winemaker Blair Walter considers: 'The 2007 Pinot Noirs are wines of unmatched concentration and rich complexity without losing any purity or finesse. They combine the ripeness of the 06's with the concentration of the 05's adding a certain extra magic that is unique to this vintage. In short we see them as landmark wines'; introduction to the Calvert concept 25 Nov 2008; www.feltonroad.com ]
Big pinot noir ruby, on a par with the 2007 Block 5, perhaps fractionally the deepest of the Feltons. This wine shows wonderfully explicit pinot characters, even more deeply floral than the standard Felton, yet with the same dark cherry fruit, all a little more aromatic as if the percentage of new oak were slightly higher than the standard wine. The richness of black cherry fruit on the somewhat firm palate (at this stage) is exhilarating. It will be exciting to see if these subtle differences are maintained as the wines soften with age over 3, 5 and 8 years. Great New Zealand pinot, to cellar 5 - 12 years, maybe 15. GK 03/09
2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir [ standard ]
18 ˝ - 5 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 14%; $53 [ screwcap; several clones hand-harvested at varying yields not above 2.5 t/ac; up to 30% whole-bunch; up to 10 days cold-soak, cuvaison up to 27 days, all wild yeast; MLF also wild and 11 months in French oak c. 29% new; no fining or filtration; winemaker Blair Walter considers: 'The 2007 Pinot Noirs are wines of unmatched concentration and rich complexity without losing any purity or finesse. They combine the ripeness of the 06's with the concentration of the 05's adding a certain extra magic that is unique to this vintage. In short we see them as landmark wines'; www.feltonroad.com ]
Good pinot noir ruby, fractionally lighter than the same year Calvert and Block 5 wines. In this blind tasting of 60 reds, half pinot noir, the result is nearly a total walkover for Felton Road. What a model this winery is, in setting the pace for pinot noir in southern New Zealand - like a latter-day Te Mata for cabernet / merlot. Bouquet is textbook New Zealand pinot noir, explicitly floral in the boronia and dark red roses category, on black and red cherry fruit, beautifully fragrant and clean. Palate follows perfectly, cherries through and through, yet still with the appropriate acid of some underpinning redfruits, showing no sur-maturité / excess plummyness, a little lighter than the Felton Calvert. The oaking is exquisite, gently shaping the wine yet in no way dominating. This is one of the most satisfying standard Felton pinots yet, a reference wine for the vintage which can be run in future Cote de Nuits tastings with confidence. Though slightly 'cooler' than the Felton and Craggy Calvert Vineyard wines, this standard Felton pinot illustrates beautifully what pinot noir without a leafy or stalky thread is like. As noted previously with respect to syrah, the dividing line between leafy florals and really sweet florals is subtle. Yet it is exactly this subtle quality which makes the great wines of Burgundy, the Northern Rhone, and yes, Bordeaux too, so exciting and 'refreshing' as Jancis Robinson would say, in comparison with their more burly competitors from warmer parts of the new world. Cellar 5 - 12 years. VALUE GK 03/09
2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5
18 ˝ - 5 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 13.5%; $80 [ screwcap; virtually unknown at retail, mainly sold to the mail-order list; several clones hand-harvested at varying yields not above 2.3 t/ac; up to 23% whole-bunch; up to 10 days cold-soak, cuvaison up to 22 days, all wild yeast; MLF also wild and 11 months in French oak c. 38% new, then 7 months in 3-year-old oak; no fining or filtration; winemaker Blair Walter considers: 'The 2007 Pinot Noirs are wines of unmatched concentration and rich complexity without losing any purity or finesse. They combine the ripeness of the 06's with the concentration of the 05's adding a certain extra magic that is unique to this vintage. In short we see them as landmark wines'; www.feltonroad.com ]
Big pinot noir ruby. Initially this wine opens a little massive, like some of the 2002 Otago pinots. With decanting or aeration, it reveals a darker more brooding version of the standard Felton or Calvert wines, but the deep florals are still there, on probing. In mouth too it is fuller, fatter and riper, with some suggestions of bottled black doris plum. Some will like it more for that, whereas classicists may say there is some sur-maturité. Whichever, it is a great mouthful of pinot, and will bring much pleasure when cellared 5 - 12 years, maybe 15. GK 03/09
2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3
18 + - 4 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 13.5%; $80 [ screwcap; virtually unknown at retail, mainly sold to the mail-order list; several clones hand-harvested at a more steady yield c. 1.8 t/ac; up to 24% whole-bunch; up to 9 days cold-soak, cuvaison up to 22 days, all wild yeast; MLF also wild and 13 months in French oak c. 37% new, then 2 months in 3-year-old oak; no fining or filtration; winemaker Blair Walter considers: The 2007 Pinot Noirs are wines of unmatched concentration and rich complexity without losing any purity or finesse. They combine the ripeness of the 06's with the concentration of the 05's adding a certain extra magic that is unique to this vintage. In short we see them as landmark wines; www.feltonroad.com ]
Good pinot noir ruby, the lightest of the Felton pinots. This wine teams up with the Villa Maria Taylor's in showing a lighter more fragrant expression of the variety, a little cooler, still with boronia complexity but a little more roses and buddleia in the florals. In mouth however it is a riper and more complete wine than the Villa or the Pyramid Calvert, showing silky red cherry pinot with freshness but no stalk. It is a little understated at the moment, and fresher than the standard Felton, but this could end up the most Musigny-like of the Felton '07s. It may therefore score more highly in 3 years. Cellar 5 - 10 years. GK 03/09
2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir Cornish Point
18 + - 4 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 14%; $65 [ screwcap; several clones hand-harvested at varying yields not above 2.1 t/ac; up to 28% whole-bunch; up to 10 days cold-soak, cuvaison up to 22 days, all wild yeast; MLF also wild and 13 months in French oak c. 26% new; no fining or filtration; winemaker Blair Walter considers: The 2007 Pinot Noirs are wines of unmatched concentration and rich complexity without losing any purity or finesse. They combine the ripeness of the 06's with the concentration of the 05's adding a certain extra magic that is unique to this vintage. In short we see them as landmark wines; www.feltonroad.com ]
Big pinot noir ruby, slightly darker than the standard wine. Felton Road continues its winning streak with this wonderfully aromatic Cornish Point vineyard wine. On both bouquet and palate, this richly fragrant pinot is a little more assertive than the standard wine, with an intriguing hint of syrah, whether due to fractionally more new oak or a mix of physiological ripenesses in the fruit was not clear in the tasting. There certainly are dark cherry and almost plummy notes, yet the palate is extended on more phenolics than the others. It would be tough to describe this character as slightly stalky, given the ripeness and richness, but the thought does occur. This is the kind of teaser these Feltons pose, and makes one wish to own a case of each variant, to study over the years. Cellar 5 - 12 years, to soften. GK 03/09
2007 Felton Road Chardonnay [ standard ]
18 ˝ + - 5 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 14%; $36 [ screwcap; hand-harvested, 100% BF in French oak 12% new; 100% MLF, 11 months LA and some stirring; pH 3.41, RS nil; www.feltonroad.co.nz ]
Lemonstraw, a little deeper than the top wines. One sniff of this and the mind immediately goes to Meursault, the wine is so beautifully mealy and fruit rich. In mouth there is an elegant floral sensation reminding of acacia flowers, and the MLF component is slightly more apparent than the other top wines, but all in a totally positive way, no butter. There is a hint of barrel char, just like some Puligny and Meursault producers. This is gorgeous sensuous wine, one of the best chardonnays out of Central Otago so far. Cellar 2 - 7 years. GK 04/09
2007 Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2
18 + - 4 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 14%; $45 [ screwcap; hand-harvested, 100% BF in French oak 15% new; 100% MLF, 12 months LA and some stirring in barrel, plus 5 months assembled in tank; pH 3.42, RS nil; www.feltonroad.co.nz ]
Light lemonstraw. Well, if there are hints of Meursault about the standard Felton Chardonnay, this wine is straight out of Chablis. The degree of pale acacia florals through bouquet and palate is exciting, and though the actual fruit component is understated, it is not weak. The oaking is so simpatico to the delicate fruit, this wine must be the closest to grand cru chablis we have ever achieved in New Zealand. If the Villa Maria Reserve Taylors was easy to overlook, this neat almost petite wine is even more so. But its balance is just perfect, the way the acid has been handled is superb, and the wine is almost silky. An exciting wine for Otago, therefore, which one could drink all night. And the similarity between the Astrolabe from Marlborough and this even purer Felton wine is exhilarating. Cellar 2 - 8 years. GK 04/09
2008 Felton Road Riesling [ standard ]
18 - 4 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 9.5%; $31 [ screwcap; hand-harvested, all s/s ferments, 3 months LA on fine lees; pH 2.92, RS 55 g/L; www.feltonroad.com ]
Lemongreen, close to the Felton Dry. Bouquet is close to that wine too, but seems to smell a little sweeter and more nectary, but at the same time (and at this stage) less explicitly varietal. Curious. There are suggestions of sweet vernal and pearflesh, but no lime characters. Palate is the sweetest so far in this hierarchy, a full medium, juicy, low phenolics but flavoursome riesling more in a cooked sturmer apple way (+ve), clearly varietal but very youthful - naturally. The wine is delightfully pure, and should develop well in bottle for 3 - 12 years. It may need re-ranking, later on. GK 04/09
2008 Felton Road Riesling Dry
17 ˝ - 4 stars
Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand: 12%; $31 [ screwcap; hand-harvested, all s/s ferments, 3 months LA on fine lees; pH 3.01, RS 6 g/L; www.feltonroad.com ]
Lemongreen, a wonderful colour. Bouquet is a little more explicit than the Neudorf Brightwater, with subliminal VA lift to white and citrus florals, and a clear lime-zest edge. Palate is 'riesling dry', quite grippy in youth with noticeable acid, maybe with some enrichment from lees-autolysis. Like young Mosel halb-trocken, this is a wine needing time to blossom in cellar 3 - 10 years, maybe longer. GK 04/09
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